Jigsaw Puzzles: Fun for the Whole Family - Share A Word
Can you imagine what childhood would be like without play? I know I can’t! The term play is basically synonymous with childhood. Kids require it to stay entertained, as well as acquire physical and mental skills throughout the process.
Nowadays, thanks to technology, it’s easy to keep kids entertained with all the electronic games and interactive videos but when it comes to good old-fashioned kind of fun, you can’t overlook jigsaw puzzles. Available as the perfect source of entertainment for people of all ages, you can find adult, teen and toddler jigsaw puzzle in various themes, models (e.g. floor and 3D), as well as materials. There are even wooden puzzle options made of sustainable sources for those eco-aware individuals!
With this type of play, families have the chance to spend important quality time together, challenging problem-solving and critical thinking skills. You’d love the fact there are numerous other benefits that both children and adults can reap, so don’t be surprised if puzzle-solving grows into your favourite family pastime!
How Do Puzzles Help a Child’s Development?
The three basic skills essential for the development of a well-rounded person are the physical, cognitive and emotional skills. It’s exactly these skills that a child builds through kids jigsaw puzzles games.
Trying to fit the pieces together by holding them and turning them in the hands helps build eye-hand coordination. Plus, the whole activity requires the use of both small and large movements with the fingers and arms, so they engage both the fine motor skills and gross motor skills.
Next up, with the help of a toddler jigsaw puzzle, your child can develop problem-solving skills by examining and testing how the different pieces fit together. This helps the child to recognise the different shapes and memorise them. And the easier kids learn the shapes, the easier it would be later on to learn the letters and numbers. Moreover, it’s through this play they get to understand more of the world that surrounds them and the relationships between objects by building spatial awareness.
Puzzles help build crucial emotional skills. They offer kids a chance to learn how to be patient while trying to solve a problem, slowly working to get the wanted result by trial and error. The outcome from the patience and being persistent is the reward of completing the task which is an increase in self-esteem.
Socialisation is yet another beneficial aspect of puzzle play. When participating in it together as a family, the child interacts and engages in conversation with other family members when asking for help and exchanging information on the possible solution, for example.
This in turn leads to the development of language skills, as well as the expansion of the vocabulary. Not only do they get to learn the names of the different shapes, the colours, the objects of the themes, they also acquire spatial language with words like beside, below, above, next to, outside of, in between.
Why Are Puzzles Good for Adults?
Same as kids, adults are in for a treat not only in the sense of fun but benefits too! Knowing this should be reason enough to make puzzle-solving into a hobby for the whole family. Okay, let’s get back to the benefits now that your interest is sparked.
- Simply said, being an adult can be stressful sometimes, and that’s exactly where having fun with your family with jigsaw puzzles for kids can assist you. Allowing your mind to focus on finding solutions is functioning like meditation that lowers the blood pressure and heart rate, so expect to wave stress and fatigue goodbye as you become more concentrated and productive.
- Who likes aging? Well, we might be able to slow it down with something mind-engaging like puzzles. Puzzles are a great exercise for the brain as they activate both the left and the right hemisphere. And the more complex the puzzle, the more patience, thinking and concentration involved when recognising the shapes and colours and connecting them. This is an
- ideal activity for improving short-term memory and mental speed and preventing conditions such as Alzheimer’s. The more the brain stimulation, the better!
- In addition, don’t be surprised if your intelligence increases as a result of your favourite problem-solving hobby too!
Need some quality time in your own company? Start solving a puzzle! They’re a perfect solution when it comes to keeping you entertained, engaging your mind and helping you stay away from screens.
